as in convinces
to cause (someone) to think or believe something by using methods that make a person unable to think normally
Terrorists brainwashed the prisoners. Does advertising brainwash children?
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainwashes
Verb
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As previously announced, Burr plays a gruff American record-store owner who convinces a ragtag gang of teenage misfits that their best, and possibly only, chance to lose their virginity before graduating high school is at a massive open-air mass for the visiting Pope.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
12 May 2026 -
Daredevil finally steps in and convinces Fisk to take the deal and leave.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Whale lusts after a hunky gardener (Brendan Fraser) and persuades him to pose for a few sketches; Julian, though bisexual, expresses no such interest in Lori, and any art-making turns out to be a gratifyingly mutual endeavor.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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The confidence heuristic explains why certainty persuades us.—
Nick Dothée,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That shift brings wiring and connectivity into greater focus within the broader conversation.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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As global warming brings shorter winters and earlier thaws, trees start flowering—and therefore producing pollen—earlier in the spring.—
Keerti Gopal,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Set the scene In a northern section of Beijing, away from the tourist hustle and bustle, this property attracts a lot of regional travelers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
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What few efforts do exist to address alcohol’s harms have been overshadowed by the opioid crisis, a parallel drug epidemic that attracts more funding, spurs more policy change, and garners more media attention despite being vastly less deadly.—
Lev Facher,
STAT,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Lucas — a prominent backer of legalizing marijuana — has said the store sells legal hemp and CBD products.—
Eric Tucker,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Jim Falk, who sells seeds and grows crops on a 700-acre farm in western Minnesota with his son, farms specialty soybeans for customers overseas.—
Star Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Borage An annual herb with bright bluish-purple flowers, borage entices important insects to the garden.—
Lauren David,
Martha Stewart,
24 Apr. 2026
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Loot boxes in the crosshairs James alleges Valve entices players to pay for a chance to win a rare virtual item, and that those rare items can be traded for real money in accordance with their rarity.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The magnet induces the magnetic flux change needed to initiate the plasma and maintain the plasma current during the burn time.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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Many of the aforementioned artists have stayed, and something about the island induces curious projects.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Adding more of this hormone influences the markings on their babies’ backs—either bars or stripes—which provide different forms of camouflage in different environments.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 May 2026
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The look, including logos, packaging and anything else a customer sees before experiencing the product, influences the customer’s decision.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Brainwashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainwashes. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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